For complete and unadulterated nerdism, there’s nowhere quite like Tokyo.

The first clue that I was in for a particularly geeky time on the trip I made in November came from the guide book on the way over: International Robotics Exhibition, every 2 years, last held November 2007. Obviously, I made sure to go there and nerded out along with my friend Katy and my little point-and-click camera (reflected in the quality of the videos here).

One of the weirdest robots was one supposedly made as a toy for kids. Personally, I think it’s pretty creepy…

Then there were the robot dogs – much more child friendly with really smooth, ultra-maneuverable joints:

One of several remote-controlled robots (controlled by the chap whose feet you can see), this football playing bot was cool but not quite right. There’s a spectacular missed kick, which although funny reminds you how difficult biped locomotion is to replicate. The crab-like sidestepping is also very amusing – listen for the clacking of the legs as they come together.

Another remote controlled bot, which I nicknamed Spiderbot, advanced slowly on me when the guy controlling it realised I was filming. I know it’s a robot and not a spider but I still found it a little scary!